Bedfordshire Open Door

Bedfordshire Open Door Free confidential counselling service for young people, aged 13-25, in Bedfordshire. Registered Charity. Established 30 years.

Got an unwanted Christmas gift? Need to declutter after the festive season? If you ended up with a Christmas present tha...
12/01/2026

Got an unwanted Christmas gift? Need to declutter after the festive season?

If you ended up with a Christmas present that isn’t quite “you,” (or even worse, have discovered a present you bought earlier in the year, squirrelled away and then forgot to wrap!), then why not pass it forward so it can be put it to good use?

We’re collecting new and unused gifts for the Bedfordshire Open Door charity fundraising raffle in February — helping support vital counselling services for young people across our community.

We would love to accept items such as unopened bottles of drink or boxes of chocolates, toiletries, gift sets, experience vouchers, gift cards - or anything else in a new and unused state that could make a great raffle prize.

Your donated gifts will help raise funds and ensure nothing goes to waste.

📍 How to donate:
Simply drop off your unwanted gifts at Bedfordshire Open Door offices at 120 Tavistock Street, Bedford or drop me a message to arrange a collection.

Let’s turn January decluttering into meaningful support for local young people.❤️

Got an unwanted Christmas gift? Need to declutter after the festive season? If you ended up with a Christmas present tha...
07/01/2026

Got an unwanted Christmas gift? Need to declutter after the festive season?

If you ended up with a Christmas present that isn’t quite “you,” (or even worse, have discovered a present you bought earlier in the year, squirrelled away and then forgot to wrap!), then why not pass it forward so it can be put it to good use?

We’re collecting new and unused gifts for the Bedfordshire Open Door charity fundraising raffle in February — helping support vital counselling services for young people across our community.

We would love to accept items such as unopened bottles of drink or boxes of chocolates, toiletries, gift sets, experience vouchers, gift cards - or anything else in a new and unused state that could make a great raffle prize.

Your donated gifts will help raise funds and ensure nothing goes to waste.

📍 How to donate:
Simply drop off your unwanted gifts at Bedfordshire Open Door offices at 120 Tavistock Street, Bedford or drop us a message to arrange a collection.

Let’s turn January decluttering into meaningful support for local young people.❤️

We would like to say a massive thank you to Towers Health & Racquets Club for a fabulous auction prize of 6 months’ free...
06/01/2026

We would like to say a massive thank you to Towers Health & Racquets Club for a fabulous auction prize of 6 months’ free peak time membership to Bedford’s premier health & racquets club.

Prize includes:
🎾Fully inclusive of use of all facilities – gym, fitness classes, pool, spa, tennis, squash.
🎾No joining fee to pay (normally £60).
🎾No need to join the waiting list (currently >6 months).
🎾Can choose to do free 4-week beginner tennis course and/or free consultation on healthy eating.
🎾Can be redeemed by any non-member (but not by an existing member).
🎾Total value = £726.
🎾After 6 months, can choose to continue membership or cancel by giving a month’s notice.
🎾Can use for yourself or gift to a friend/relative.

To be in with a chance to bid on this incredible prize, you need to be in the room where the auction happens - so email us at fundraising@bedfordopendoor.org.uk to secure your tickets to our charity ball on 6th February 🎟️

Or if you would like to support our fundraising with the donation of a prize then please do get in touch at the same email address 🙏

Every pound raised helps young people in Bedfordshire access counselling and mental health support 💙

Our Bod Pod group took time to welcome the lighter days with Winter Solstice artwork based on ancient Celtic pagan tradi...
22/12/2025

Our Bod Pod group took time to welcome the lighter days with Winter Solstice artwork based on ancient Celtic pagan traditions.

18/12/2025

✨A big, big thankyou to all the lovely local people and businesses who have donated prizes to this years raffle. We are truly grateful 🙏

We have some fabulous prizes up for grabs this year in the Christmas Raffle. All proceeds donated to Bedfordshire Open Door and Bedford Foodbank.
🎟️ Tickets still on sale!
📅 Draw: Christmas Eve at 8 PM

Don’t miss your chance to win and support a great cause this festive season!

🎄❄️🎅🏼

Prizes include;

✨Smart TV - donated by Barry Wells - B Wells Plumbing and Heating Ltd

✨ £150 Load of Logs - donated by Johnny Day

✨Overnight stay for 2 with breakfast, thermal spa day and Prosecco afternoon tea for 2 at The Swan Hotel in Bedford
Donated by Carlsberg Britvic

✨ Luxury Hamper - Donated by Wesley and Charlotte from Roof Professionals

✨Fortnum and Mason - Goodies Hamper - donated by Kingsley Healthcare Group

✨Tool Kit and Spade donated by Max from

✨£25 Garden Voucher donated from Keith Cockings

✨ £30 Marcellos Voucher donated by Curly Sisters Catering

✨ 3x pairs of IRIS Headphones donated by Tom Darnell

✨£120 The Tiny Tipi Co. - Sleepovers & Luxe picnics voucher - donated by Christie - The Tiny Tipi Co. - Sleepovers & Luxe picnics

✨ Daisy by Marc Jacob’s Perfume

✨Wooden board from

✨Glasswear - donated by Sarah Lou Glass

✨Joop Fragrance

✨Luxury Rioja Case

✨Prosecco set with glasses

✨Wireless Charger & Prosecco - donated by Tesco

✨Chocolates

Plus much much more!

Meet our Charity Ball band! 🎸 To kick off the night on 6 February, Bedfordshire 2025 Battle of the Bands Winners, Greens...
18/12/2025

Meet our Charity Ball band! 🎸

To kick off the night on 6 February, Bedfordshire 2025 Battle of the Bands Winners, Greensands, will be performing a live acoustic set for our guests.

“Definitely ones to watch” according to BBC Radio London presenter Gabby Roslin, and with over 25K+ streams online already, Greensands are a local alternative rock band known for their raw energy, genre-blending sound and introspective lyrics 🎶

With over 50 live appearances already, including festival slots at Car Fest, Old Town Love and Amp Rocks, gigs at Esquires, The Stables, and The Roundhouse, and appearances on BBC Radio London, Greensands are making a real name for themselves nationally as well as locally 🤘

If seeing an up-and-coming local band before they hit the big time is on your bucket list for 2026, as well as enjoying a delicious 3 course meal at The Bedford Swan and Thermal Spa, live comedy, table magic and disco dancing til dawn, then email fundraising@bedfordopendoor.org.uk to secure your seats. Tickets are £75 each or £700 for a table of 10.

This is your chance to dress up, eat, dance, and make a difference ✨

We would like to say a massive thank you to Woburn Golf Club for the generous donation of a voucher entitling four peopl...
16/12/2025

We would like to say a massive thank you to Woburn Golf Club for the generous donation of a voucher entitling four people to one round of golf on one of their championship courses - what a prize! 🏆

To be in with a chance to bid on this incredible prize, you need to be in the room where the auction happens - so email us at fundraising@bedfordopendoor.org.uk to secure your tickets to the ball 🎟️

Or if you would like to support our fundraising with the donation of a prize then please do get in touch at the same email address 🙏

Every pound raised helps young people in Bedfordshire access counselling and mental health support 💙

Cinderella you *shall* go to the Ball! But only if you buy a ticket 🎟 Time is running out to secure your place at the fi...
13/12/2025

Cinderella you *shall* go to the Ball! But only if you buy a ticket 🎟

Time is running out to secure your place at the first (therefore best!) ball we have ever organised ⌛️

We would love to have sold out by the end of this month (it makes the admin a lot easier 😏) and we would love you to be there.

Book your tickets now, and give your future Feb 2026 self something to look forward to 🔮

📅 Friday 6 February 2026

📍The Swan Hotel, Bedford

🎟 For tickets please email fundraising@bedfordopendoor.org.uk
Tell us how many tickets you want and we will send you payment details

We can't wait to see you there, in your gladrags 🥳

12/12/2025

Honestly… this is ludicrous.
�We live in a country with around 69 million people, and somehow the group being singled out — yet again — is one of the smallest, most misunderstood communities: people with ADHD.

If the goal is supposedly to “save money,” why pick on a tiny group who already struggles to access basic support? Why not look at any of the far bigger systems that actually drain resources?

Why go after people who are just trying to function, advocate for themselves, and get the help they’ve often waited years for?

It feels targeted. It feels lazy. And above all, it feels deeply misguided.

People with ADHD aren’t the cause of a budget issue. They aren’t a political inconvenience. They aren’t a trend to be managed or a group to be “stood up to.”

They are human beings — many of whom have spent their whole lives feeling different, unsupported, or misunderstood before finally getting an answer that explains their struggles.

Headlines like this don’t “save money” or “start a conversation.”
�They create stigma.�They cause harm.�They make people feel mocked for having a legitimate neurodevelopmental condition.

Out of millions of people in this country, ADHD is the group being held up as some kind of problem? Really?

We deserve better than this.
�Better understanding.�Better compassion.�Better journalism.�Better leadership.

Because targeting a small, vulnerable group might make a dramatic headline — but it’s not truth, it’s not fairness, and it’s not helping anyone.




Address

120 Tavistock Street
Bedford
MK402SA

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 7:30pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 7:30pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 7:30pm
Thursday 9:30am - 7:30pm
Friday 9:30am - 7:30pm
Saturday 10am - 1pm

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BEDFORD OPEN DOOR

Bedford Open Door is a registered charity providing free and confidential counselling to young people. Counselling is provided by a team of experienced and friendly counsellors, many of our qualified counsellors volunteer their time. We offer counselling from our counselling centre in Tavistock Street in Bedford and also in a number of schools and at the YMCA.

What is counselling?

Counselling is a chance for you to talk through ANYTHING that may be worrying you. This may be something that has been on your mind for a while or that has come up recently. Counselling will give you time to explore your feelings so that you can be helped to find a way of working through these difficulties and problems.

Bedford Open Door is a BACP Accredited Service www.bacp.co.uk